SPORT Saturday 19 May 2018 PAGE | 18 PAGE | 19 Al Rayyan confident Belmadi sees exciting of eending season with final, hopes to Amir Cup title complete treble Qatar drawn with UAE at AFC U-19 Championship THE PENINSULA the line for the participating knockout stage due to goal dif- sides as the top four teams will ference, will be aiming to do JAKARTA: Former champions also secure their spots in the better against Vietnam, Australia Qatar yesterday were drawn in FIFA U-20 World Cup next year and Jordan in Group C. Group A of the AFC U-19 Cham- in Poland. Two-time champions and pionship along with hosts Indo- Indonesia, who will be 2016 runners-up Saudi Arabia nesia. hosting the prestigious tour- are grouped with Tajikistan, The other teams in Group A nament for the third time, were 1985 winners China PR and include the United Arab Emirates crowned champions in 1961. Malaysia in Group D. and Chinese Taipei in the Defending champions Japan, The draw ceremony yes- 16-team event that kicks off in who earned their first title in the terday began with a traditional Indonesia on October 18 this previous edition, will face Indonesian performance by year. Thailand, DPR Korea and Iraq, dancers from the Liga Tari Qatar won this champi- who have won the title five times Mahasiswa Universitas Indo- onship in 2014 to seal their berth in Group B. nesia Krida Budaya, showcasing at the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup Twelve-time champions local folklore dances and music, held in New Zealand. Korea Republic, suffered heart- before Football Association of remarks regarding the tour- Jakarta in October will show the across Asia,” said Driyono. There is more than just the break in 2016 when they nar- Indonesia Acting President Joko nament. “We hope that the tour- very best of youth football and “To all participating teams, AFC U-19 Championship title on rowly missed out on the Driyono gave his opening nament which will take place in escalate the level of football I wish you the best,” he added. IPL: Daredevils Spain’s Rafael Nadal returns the ball to Italy’s Fabio Fognini during their quarter- final in Rome yesterday. beat Super Kings AGENCIES scoring just 17 runs from 23 deliveries. NEW DELHI: Hosts Delhi Dare- Ravindra Jadeja’s 27-0ff-18 devils rode on late order blitz- deliveries also failed to pose kriegs from Vijay Shankar and challenge for the winners. Harshal Patel to secure a 34-run Earlier, put in to bat, Delhi victory over Chennai Super were off to a sluggish start Kings in their Indian Premier before losing in-form opener League (IPL) match in New Prithvi Shaw off a run-a-ball 17 Delhi yesterday. in the fifth over with the score- Shankar (36 not out from 28 board showing 24 runs. balls; 4x2, 6x2) and Patel (36 not Shaw, who received a out from 16; 4x1, 6x4) milked 26 reprieve a couple of balls earlier runs off the final over from when Shardul Thakur dropped Dwayne Bravo to forge a 65-run a simple catch off Ravindra sixth wicket stand -- the highest Jadeja, failed to cash on it and of Delhi’s innings -- and helped fell to Deepak Chahar with the hosts post a healthy total of Thakur making no mistake this 162-5. time around. Daredevils, then restricted Chennai Super Kings for 128-6 BRIEF SCORES to register a resounding victory, Delhi Daredevils 162/5 (Rishabh Pant 38, thanks to a brace each by fast Vijay Shankar 36 not out, Harshal Patel bowler Trent Boult (2-20) and Nadal bounces back from 36 not out; Lungi Ngidi 2/14) bt Chennai Amit Mishra (2-20). Ambati Raudu (50) was the Super Kings (AT Rayudu 50, RA Jadeja top scorer for Super Kings as 27; A Mishra 20-2, Boult 2-20) by 34 slow start to reach semis their captain MS Dhoni failed to runs. lift the side in crucial stages, AFP win his quarter-final tie in Russia’s Maria Sharapova Rome and next up he will face ROME: Rafael Nadal continued hits a return to Latvia’s either fellow former world his clay domination yesterday, Jelena Ostapenko during number one Novak Djokovic Botham backs rallying from a set down to their quarter-final match or Japan’s Kei Nishikori. reach the Italian Open semi- in Rome yesterday. Marin Cilic beat Pablo finals with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 Carreno Busta 6-3, 6-3 to reach 100-ball format victory over Fabio Fognini. the Rome semi-finals for the AFP The world number two first time in his career. existing competition, the T20 needs to lift an eighth career The Croatian fourth seed Blast. Botham believes the new title at the Foro Italico on lost in the 2011 and 2017 LONDON: England great Ian tournament, due to start in Sunday to return to the top of quarter-finals at the Foro Botham has backed contro- 2020, could compete with the the ATP rankings after losing Italico, but dismissed Busta in versial plans for a new city- other popular franchise leagues. that position to Roger Federer 65 minutes. based 100-ball competition “The game has to move on,” last week. Nadal and Cilic were joined despite widespread criticism he said during a ceremony in Spaniard Nadal dropped as semi-finalist by women’s from within the game. London yesterday . the opening set in an hour but fourth seed Elina Svitolina, The former all-rounder “I think we’re in danger of re-grouped effortlessly as he who recovered from a slow believes England and Wales diluting the red-ball game too swept past the Italian in the sets of their quarter-final tie. aim for an unprecedented 11th start to defeat former world Cricket Board chairman Colin much and going down the one-sided second and third “I’m not used to playing so title. number one Angelique Kerber Graves is right to press ahead one-day road, but that’s what early,” Nadal said of his midday “My clay court season has of Germany 6-4, 6-4. with the “Hundred” concept in the public wants at the moment ITALIAN OPEN RESULTS start. been, I think, fantastic. It will Meanwhile, Maria the hope that it can match the and we’re trying to do some- Men’s Quarter-finals “But I’m very happy to be be much better if I finish here Sharapova won a battle of global appeal of the Indian thing different. Rafael Nadal (ESP x1) bt Fabio Fognini (ITA), in the semi-finals. with another title,” added the French Open champions, Premier League (IPL) and Aus- “No one’s agreed anything 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 “This was a very important 16-time Grand Slam winner. taking more than three hours tralia’s popular tournament Big yet regarding the new compe- Marin Cilic (CRO x4) bt Pablo Carreno Busta win for me today.” “But I can’t forget that I had to get past Jelena Ostapenko Bash, both played under tition so we’ll have to wait and Nadal also beat Fognini in five months without com- 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 7-5 and reach Twenty20 rules. see how it all falls into place. But (ESP x10) 6-3, 6-3 Rome in 2013 in their first ever peting, from Shanghai (October the Italian Open semi-finals. But the Durham chairman’s we needed a competition in Women’s Quarter-finals meeting. 2017) until Monte-Carlo (last Russia’s five-time Grand comments are in contrast to England to compete with the Big Maria Sharapova (RUS) bt Jelena Ostapenko This was his 11th victory in month). I didn’t complete -- not Slam winner defeated the those of other current players, Bash and the IPL -- everyone (LAT x5) 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 7-5 14 meetings with the 21st- one event. The comeback has reigning Roland Garros holder including his county’s captain else has one and we’ve been Elina Svitolina (UKR x4) bt Angelique Kerber ranked Italian, and sixth in a been great, I am happy with to leave Ostapenko with only Paul Collingwood, who led slow to pick up on it,” the leg- (GER) 6-4, 6-4 row. everything.” Rome and Stuttgart quarter- England to their memorable endary player added. Anett Kontaveit (EST) bt Caroline Wozniacki He is working towards It was the first time in four finals prior to the start of her World Twenty20 victory in Botham was speaking at a (DEN x2) 6-3, 6-1 Roland Garros, where he will years that Nadal managed to title defence in Paris. 2010. ceremony to mark the renaming He believes a bigger effort of a pavilion at Durham’s ground should be made to exploit the in honour of Collingwood. 18 SPORT SATURDAY 19 MAY 2018 Giants Al Duhail, Al Rayyan eye Amir Cup glory in season finale ARMSTRONG VAS season will motivate them to go the extra mile very difficult. We are playing against the best rallied to draw 2-2 THE PENINSULA in today’s final. team not only in Qatar, but in the entire Gulf and then went up 3-2 “We know the opponent have the same region. They had a fantastic season, winning until the late goal, it was DOHA: Al Duhail will be looking ambition - that is to win the title. Al Rayyan is a the QSL, then they beat Al Sadd to win the Qatar a fantastic game, so that to end the domestic football season big club and a season without any title is not a Cup and they have been winning in the AFC gives me confidence for with a trophy treble of their own good one for them … so they will be more hungry.